Post by itrainmonkeys on Jun 18, 2012 15:54:59 GMT -5

I realize that Ben & Jerry's did not endorse these signs, but, if they hired people or had people promote their product, at that point, it REPRESENTS THEIR PRODUCT. Anything that is done in that situation could be considered a direct correlation to Ben & Jerry's. I truly hope they realize this. This whole situation could have been a lot worse.

I'm pretty sure the people who were holding those signs did not represent Ben and Jerry's. The people walking around with those signs/fans/whatever were just festival goers with an offensive sense of humor.

Ben and Jerry's did not hire people to promote their product and then those people wrote things about rape/anal on them. It's more likely Ben and Jerry's handed out things to festival-goers and some festival goers wrote offensive stuff on them.

Again, saying that there's a direct correlation to Ben and Jerry's seems silly to me. If the "Ford Tent" were handing out free T-shirts and somebody took that shirt and wrote stuff on it then how is that Ford's fault?

Post by itrainmonkeys on Jun 18, 2012 15:56:06 GMT -5

But Xbox did not higher the people to promote in that situation. Not remotely the same.

Here I will explain it like this...You have a car dealership and higher some people to make catchy signs to come to your dealership. If the signs are distasteful, whose responsibility is it to take down the signs? The car dealership correct? Regardless of who makes the signs, it REPRESENTS your company if you hired them/asked them to promote.

See my post above. The people holding signs that were offensive were not hired by Ben and Jerry's. I'm almost positive they were just festival goers who wrote things on that sign.

Post by itrainmonkeys on Jun 18, 2012 15:59:07 GMT -5

They handed out signs for people to write nice messages. I'm almost positive that the offensive messages were written after they got the signs and not in the Ben and Jerry's tent. I saw things written on the back of the sign (not the front like people are doing in the photo) and that's exactly where Cinnamongirl said the nasty stuff was written. On the back.

So no, this is not Ben and Jerry's fault. Like I said....it's a few ignorant dudes who wrote offensive things. No different if they took a plate from a food vendor and wrote offensive things on it. You wouldn't get mad at the food vendor for people being idiots.

Post by pondo ROCKS on Jun 18, 2012 16:00:12 GMT -5

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Post by GABFRAB on Jun 18, 2012 17:07:34 GMT -5

Fair enough. I assumed they were written on at the Ben and Jerry's tent so you may have a point.

Then you should get your facts figured out before blaming Ben and Jerry's for this and creating a situation where people will believe they endorsed/supported the offensive signs in any way. It's ridiculous to point fingers at them for this.

Post by cinnamon girl on Jun 18, 2012 17:40:52 GMT -5

Fair enough. I assumed they were written on at the Ben and Jerry's tent so you may have a point.

Then you should get your facts figured out before blaming Ben and Jerry's for this and creating a situation where people will believe they endorsed/supported the offensive signs in any way. It's ridiculous to point fingers at them for this.

This was something I brought up, definitely not Pondo. I'd like to make that clear. I may have taken the wrong approach, and I may have acted out of anger, but my actions are over and done. I just wanted to express myself, which is why I wrote in this forum first. I SHOULD have done something immediately but I didn't. We'll never know whether the offensive words were written in the B and J tent or afterwards....what I just meant to get across is that I was hurt. Also that maybe giving people markers to write their own slogan upon a piece of your promotional material is not always the best idea. Whether your company intended to or not, there will be a correlation. Maybe not to everyone, but there was to me...and it didn't sit well.

I respect the opinions of everyone who has posted here and appreciate the varying opinions. It's easy to judge my actions now. I just wanted to share my anger and feel like I wasn't alone in my disgust.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome.

Post by pondo ROCKS on Jun 18, 2012 17:43:16 GMT -5

Fair enough. I assumed they were written on at the Ben and Jerry's tent so you may have a point.

Then you should get your facts figured out before blaming Ben and Jerry's for this and creating a situation where people will believe they endorsed/supported the offensive signs in any way. It's ridiculous to point fingers at them for this.

If the comments were written in the B&J tent, then yes it is a problem that they should have addressed. if not, it still could have been a huge disaster had a media outlet taken a picture and put it up.

Providing an outlet and a voice for music lovers to unite under the common theme of music for all. Join The Pondo Army to show your allegiance to musical freedom! Fighting for no censorship of the arts & music education in schools, The Pondo Army will triumph! The Pondo Army Movement
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Post by itrainmonkeys on Jun 18, 2012 17:52:42 GMT -5

The people who are at fault are the people who wrote those things on their signs. Simple as that. Ben and Jerry's would just have to say "they wrote that stuff on their own. We can't control them." Nothing bad would happen to Ben and Jerry's. It's a non-story in terms of it hurting their business.

But it is a good lesson/heads up for seeing people with offensive things at Bonnaroo. Personally I let most things slide but if you see something that you think is more damaging than funny then try to educate the person spreading that message. Take a minute to talk to them and see why they wrote that and how it affects others. But that's where free speech issues come into play and it gets all messy lol.

Post by itrainmonkeys on Jun 18, 2012 17:59:02 GMT -5

Also that maybe giving people markers to write their own slogan upon a piece of your promotional material is not always the best idea.

I bring my own pens and sharpie markers to Bonnaroo. These people probably did the same.

Again though, if it wasn't on the Ben and Jerry's sign then maybe these people would have written it on a food plate or a towel or a free shirt. It still feels like you are holding Ben and Jerry's accountable for this when really they had nothing to do with it. They provided a medium to write messages on but so does every single company/vendor in Bonnaroo.

Whether your company intended to or not, there will be a correlation. Maybe not to everyone, but there was to me...and it didn't sit well.

I find that a bit unfair but each person is entitled to their own opinions. I don't think there's correlation to Ben and Jerry's.

Idiots wrote offensive things and hold them up. That's how I view it. We don't even know if they got these from the Ben and Jerry's tent or if they saw one on the ground and picked it up and then wrote stuff on it. If these people opened up their Bonnaroo map and wrote it on there and held it up would you be contacting Bonnaroo and saying that they should maybe think twice before giving out materials that can be used to spread a message?

I respect the opinions of everyone who has posted here and appreciate the varying opinions. It's easy to judge my actions now. I just wanted to share my anger and feel like I wasn't alone in my disgust.

And that's perfectly fine. Your anger is shared and there are plenty of people who really dislike some of the offensive things people can spread. You're not alone in your disgust but I do feel that the direction your anger is pointed in (at Ben and Jerry's....even a little bit) is misguided. You should be angry at individuals and the people who raised them to be this way. Not at the sponsor who handed out free ice cream and souvenirs to festival goers. They can't control idiots.

Post by cinnamon girl on Jun 18, 2012 21:52:36 GMT -5

So Pondo and CG, are you saying Ben and Jerry's should send out a volunteer with every piece of swag they hand out to make sure it is not misused?

Sigh. No that's no what I'm saying. Look, I'm sorry I even started this. Pick apart my messages if you will. I'm not going to defend myself anymore. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and ours are different. Let's be at peace. I'm not calling for a boycott, nor for any organized action. I sent an email, call it misguided if you will, but it's done.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go on an overnight drunk, and in 10 days I'm going to set out to find the shark that ate my friend and destroy it. Anyone who wants to tag along is more than welcome.

Post by BonnarooDetective on Jun 19, 2012 1:31:42 GMT -5

I don't mean to interject, and I hate to further this discussion, but I feel obligated to mention this . . .

I'm not certain it was the same group of people, but I was camped a few tents over from a group of people who practically used those two phrases - "No Means Yes" and "Yes Means Anal" - as their slogan throughout the weekend. I never saw them with Ben and Jerry's signs, but I did see them on Wednesday and Thursday night with homemade signs (featuring the exact same slogan). They were set-up protest-style at one point in BFE, chanting both phrases and asking strangers if they engaged in anal sex. I heard them continue to chant the slogan several times throughout the weekend.

I'm not sure if this impacts anyone's thoughts on the matter or not, but I thought it was worth noting that all of the people I saw with these signs were female. I got the impression it was something of an inside joke among them, as they were rather giddy about it.

I'm not trying to justify their signs or the things they said (I'm not condemning them either) - I understand this is certainly a sensitive topic. However, I think that in this case, it was just a group of misguided teenage girls engaged in an offensive and immature inside joke.

Hey - who else bought a pint of Bonnaroo Buzz from the grocery store just to save the container?

Providing an outlet and a voice for music lovers to unite under the common theme of music for all. Join The Pondo Army to show your allegiance to musical freedom! Fighting for no censorship of the arts & music education in schools, The Pondo Army will triumph! The Pondo Army Movement
Follow me on twitter@Pondoknowsbest